Department for Transport

Driverless Vehicles: Infrastructure

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the quality of UK infrastructure to help the development of autonomous vehicles.

baroness sugg: The Government is committed to improving transport infrastructure. For example, the Road Investment Strategy is investing £15.3 billion for the period of 2015-2020 and a further £23.5 billion for 2020-2025.While the final infrastructure requirements for automated vehicles are not clear, the Government is also investing in trials of connected and automated vehicle technologies. These will inform the Government’s understanding of the infrastructure requirements for these vehicles.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any staff at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) who are responsible for accounting and audit policy previously worked at the Financial Reporting Council; whether BEIS staff previously worked at any accountancy firms; and if so, which ones.

lord henley: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) team responsible for accounting policy includes a secondee from the Financial Reporting Council with expertise and experience in accounting. We are unable to provide information on the number of BEIS staff who previously worked at accountancy firms as BEIS does not maintain a database containing the career histories of staff.

Business

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the business concerns raised by the British Chambers of Commerce about no-deal Brexit preparations.

lord henley: Government is continuing to work hard to provide the clarity that we know businesses need in the run up to March 29th. BEIS and other government departments have been working with business representative bodies including the BCC to provide access to answers. The Public Information Campaign business section is regularly updated with the latest information as it becomes available and we will continue to work cross-government to identify gaps in information businesses need and provide it in user friendly accessible formats. Additionally, BEIS has established a Business Readiness Forum which meets weekly and is attended by the BCC which will help both the BCC and other representative bodies to communicate policy decisions to their members in a timely manner in the run up to EU Exit.

Wind Power: Feed-in Tariffs

lord wallace of tankerness: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the wind-related Feed-in Tariff budget is currently (1) committed, and (2) expected to be deployed by banding in the current financial year in the bands (a) 0–50kw, (b) 50–100 kw, (c) 100–1,500kw, and (d) 1,500–5,000kw.

lord henley: Following the review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme in 2015 a maximum overall budget of £100m from January 2016 to 31 March 2019 was introduced which is enforced through quarterly deployment caps. Deployment is tracked by Ofgem based on the total installed capacity of new installations registered on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) database and their records of applications for ROO-FIT accreditation. The amount of budget committed to each wind band can be calculated using publicly available data using the following methodology. Total capacity deployed for each technology over the period 2016 – 2018 is published under the Feed-in Tariff Deployment Caps Monthly Reports. Total generation can be calculated by applying the load factors (published in the impact assessment that accompanied the 2015 Feed-in Tariffs review) to the total capacity.Finally, to calculate the value of the generation tariff payments made to each band, the total amount of generation per quarter is multiplied by the corresponding tariff rates available on Ofgem’s website.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

lord wallace of tankerness: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount of the Feed-in Tariff budget which is currently (1) committed, and (2) expected to be deployed in the current financial year for (a) wind, (b) solar, (c) hydro, (d) biomass, (e) anaerobic digestion, and (f) micro-combined heat and power.

lord henley: Following the review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme in 2015 a maximum overall budget of £100m from January 2016 to 31 March 2019 was introduced which is enforced through quarterly deployment caps. Deployment is tracked by Ofgem based on the total installed capacity of new installations registered on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) database and their records of applications for ROO-FIT accreditation. The amount of budget committed to each technology (biomass is not supported under the FIT scheme) can be calculated using publicly available data using the following methodology. Total capacity deployed for each technology over the period 2016 – 2018 is published under the Feed-in Tariff Deployment Caps Monthly Reports. Available on Ofgem’s website. Total generation can be calculated by applying the load factors (published in the impact assessment that accompanied the 2015 Feed-in Tariffs review) to the total capacity.Finally, to calculate the value of the generation tariff payments made to each technology band, the total amount of generation per quarter is multiplied by the corresponding tariff rates available on Ofgem’s website.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

lord wallace of tankerness: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to allow the Feed-in Tariff budget to continue with greater flexibility between tariff bandings.

lord henley: The Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme will close to new applications after 31 March 2019 subject to a number of time-limited extensions and a grace period.

Cost of Energy Independent Review

lord wallace of tankerness: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a detailed response to the Cost of Energy Review's support for further renewable energy investment; and if so, when.

lord henley: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, set out his strategic approach to the GB electricity system last November, in his address ‘After the trilemma – 4 principles for the power sector’. He will set out more details in a White Paper in the summer. The Contracts for Difference Scheme is our main mechanism for supporting new large scale renewable energy generation projects. The next competitive allocation round for less established technologies such as offshore wind will open by May 2019, with subsequent auctions around every two years. Up to £557 million of further support was announced as part of the 2017 Budget.

Business: Energy

lord wallace of tankerness: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any support mechanisms in place to help businesses deploy private sustainable energy supplies to lower costs.

lord henley: The Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme has been the Government’s principal method of encouraging uptake of small-scale and micro-scale renewable electricity generation. It allows businesses to invest in small-scale low-carbon electricity such as solar panels and wind turbines, in return for a guaranteed payment for the electricity they generate and export. Businesses are also able to benefit from reduced electricity bills, where the self-generated electricity is consumed onsite. Further information about the scheme can be found on Ofgem’s website. The scheme will close to new applications after 31 March 2019. The Government has also been supporting low-carbon and renewable heating through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) since 2011. The non-domestic RHI offers support to businesses, charities and public bodies for a range of technologies and fuel uses.As of December 2018, the RHI has supported over 19100, through the non-domestic scheme Deployment data can be found on the www.gov.uk site.

Business: Energy

lord wallace of tankerness: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is the policy of the Business Energy Efficiency Programme to help businesses deploy private sustainable energy supplies in order to lower costs and provide energy security for their business.

lord henley: The Clean Growth Strategy sets out our ambition to enable business consumers to reduce their energy usage by improving energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030, potentially reducing carbon emissions by 22MtCO2e over the fifth Carbon Budget. We are developing a package of measures to support businesses to deliver this level of ambition and will respond to a Call for Evidence published last year, ‘Helping businesses improve the way they use energy’ by the summer. Regarding deploying private sustainable energy supplies the Government has been supporting the installation of low carbon and renewable heating for businesses, charities and public bodies through the Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) since 2011. The scheme aims to bridge the gap between the cost of fossil fuel and low carbon heating technologies by offering a financial incentive and has over 19,100 participants as of December 2018.  In addition, the Government’s sustained support for clean energy has helped produce dramatic falls in the costs of renewable technology. For example, the cost of solar cells has fallen by 80 per cent since 2008. Support for solar comes directly from people's bills, so when costs come down, so should support. We have therefore taken steps to control the costs of support schemes, and subsidy-free deployment of solar PV may be a viable option for businesses. Our Industrial Strategy sets out how we want to make sure that the UK continues to reap the benefits from the transition to a low carbon economy.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cancer: Medical Treatments

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the claims by Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies of the potential for treating a wide range of cancers with a multi-target toxin treatment.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: On its website, Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd presents a technology platform to identify promising peptides that can target cancer cells. All other information on multi-target toxin, (MuTaTo), which is a product combining several cancer-targeting peptides with a strong peptide toxin, which would be personalised to each patient and kill cancer cells specifically - is derived from interviews to newspapers. As no publication of the company’s preliminary works (in vitro and in animals) is available from scientific journals, neither scientific experts nor the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is able to make any assessment of this therapy. The company claims that it is about to start clinical trials, but currently, no clinical trial with such a compound is registered in the European Union public register. If, in the future, the company wishes to apply for a Marketing Authorisation when results in patients become available, the MHRA will be able to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of this therapy and its risk and benefit for its use.

Wound Dressings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether additional financial support is planned to support the National Wound Care Strategy Programme beyond September 2019.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) aims to improve the quality of wound care provision through developing pathways of care for priority clinical issues and improving the supply and distribution of wound care products.The Government and National Health Service fully recognise the benefits of improving the quality of wound care provision, and the role the implementation of the NWCSP will play in achieving this aim. Decisions about the future funding for the NWCSP will be made as part of the implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Wound Dressings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made by the National Wound Care Strategy Programme.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) has three clinical workstreams (Pressure Ulcers, Lower Limb, Surgical Wounds) and four enabler workstreams (Education and Workforce, Research, Data and Information, Supply and Distribution). Over 80 leading clinicians, researchers, supply and procurement specialists and policy makers are involved in the workstreams, and have commenced work to deliver the programme.The NWCSP has a public web page, which includes further information on the strategy. The web page is being further developed and will include regular updates on the progress of the Programme. The NWCSP web page is available as part of the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSN) publicly available website.

Wound Dressings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure the Department of Health and Social Care operating model for procurement is in alignment with the objectives of the National Wound Care Strategy Programme.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), is the management function of the NHS Supply Chain operating model, which uses the Department operating model for procurement. As a key partner in the delivery of the programme, SCCL is ensuring that there is full alignment between the Department’s operating model for procurement, and the National Wound Care Strategy Programme. SCCL chair the Stakeholder Council, which provide the leadership of the National Wound Care Strategy Programme’s Supply and Distribution workstream, as well as leading the stakeholder forums for suppliers, health and care professionals and patients, and carers and citizens.

Wound Dressings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to make the governance and ongoing progress of the National Wound Care Strategy Programme available on a public website.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) has a public web page as part of the Academic Health Science Networks website and a social media presence to promote the programme’s work. The website is currently under development to more clearly indicate the governance structures, the membership of the workstreams, and provide regular updates of the work that is being undertaken. The Stakeholder Forums also have a web presence to enable interested stakeholders to easily register their interest in being involved in ongoing consultations. This will be accessible from the main NWCSP website.

Wound Dressings

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether wound dressings will be prioritised by (1) being clinically appropriate, or (2) their unit cost under the Department for Health and Social Care’s operating model.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Clinical and Product Assurance team within Supply Chain Coordination Limited assures that all products supplied by NHS Supply Chain are value for money, fit for purpose, safe, and representative of health and care professional, as well as patient and carer, needs.Products made available must have been assessed as representing the best value for money, balancing both clinical benefit and cost. This assessment is made through a robust evaluation process which is informed by health and care professionals, patients, and carers.

Department for International Development

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 12 February (HL13192), whether they will now answer the question put.

lord bates: We have regular discussions about the importance of religious freedom and inclusion in all aspects of public policy, including employment, but we have not specifically raised the issue of the advertisements.   We are not aware of any cases of discrimination on the grounds of religion linked with programmes supported by DFID to create employment, including in the public sector. Our Partnership Agreement with the Government of Pakistan makes clear that commitment to human rights (including minority and religious rights) is vital and discrimination in the delivery of UK aid is not acceptable. Compliance with this and other key Partnership Principles is reviewed on an annual basis.   As mentioned in the previous answer, DFID Pakistan’s Skills Development Programme will provide 330,000 poor and vulnerable people, including those from minority communities, with technical and vocational training to improve their employment prospects.

UNRWA: Finance

lord pickles: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expected funding requirements of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East based on population projections in (1) 2020, (2) 2025, and (3) 2030.

lord bates: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has made no formal assessment on expected funding based on population projections in (1) 2020, (2) 2025, and (3) 2030. Our future funding commitments will be reviewed at regular intervals; UNRWA budgeting models are agreed by the general assembly every two years and were most recently approved for 2019. UNRWA’s current Medium-Term Strategy extends to 2021. The UK has been a consistent top five donor to UNRWA. A long-term solution requires a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for Palestinian refugees. Until that happens the UK remains firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees. We recognise that UNRWA will continue to face funding challenges and are having proactive discussions with them about how to ensure the continued delivery of their essential services, recognising strides that they have already made in cost savings initiatives.

UNRWA: Finance

lord pickles: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of the UK’s contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in (1) 2010–11, (2) 2015–16, and (3) 2017–18.

lord bates: The amount of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for the requested years is given in the table below. This data is published each year in the Statistics on International Development (SID) publication and is presented on a calendar year basis. Figures for 2018 will be released this autumn. £ (millions)20102011201520162017Total UK ODA to UNRWA per calendar year29.135.064.054.451.0Source: Statistics for International Development 2009-2017 ODA figures are produced only on a calendar year basis in line with the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, Development Assistance Committee definitions.

Department for Education

Voluntary Schools

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of non-religious families who will be disadvantaged by the establishment of new voluntary aided religious schools.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether new fully religiously selective voluntary aided schools have any negative impact on families in receipt of free school meals.

lord agnew of oulton: The department undertook an extensive series of activities as part of the Schools that Work for Everyone consultation to understand the variety of opinions relating to faith schools. Having considered the views of respondents, and a range of stakeholder views, the department decided to establish the voluntary-aided capital scheme alongside retaining the 50% cap in faith admissions in faith designated free schools. The statutory process for establishing new voluntary-aided schools has not changed. It remains possible for proposers of any faith or no faith to propose a new voluntary-aided school, and likewise the voluntary-aided capital scheme is open to bids from proposers of all faiths and none.

Voluntary Schools

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many expressions of interest in the new capital funding scheme for voluntary aided schools were registered; and what proportion of those led to the submission of a full proposal in the first round of that scheme.

lord agnew of oulton: The capital scheme for voluntary-aided schools is designed to be small, and registering interest in the scheme prior to submitting a bid for funding was not compulsory.As well as exploratory discussions with stakeholders, we received expressions of interest for 22 new voluntary-aided schools.The expressions of interest led to 14 bids for funding submitted to the department. A list of the bids that the department received will be published in due course.

Education and Skills Funding Agency: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each of the last five years, what percentage of invoices submitted to the Education and Skills Funding Agency were paid to suppliers within 30 days; how many invoices were paid later than 30 days; what was the potential interest and compensation liability due to late payment; and how much interest and compensation was claimed and paid.

lord agnew of oulton: The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) was established on 1 April 2017. Therefore, we have only been able to provide the data for the 2017/18 financial year.During the 2017/18 financial year, the ESFA paid 99.02% of its invoices within 30 days. 209 invoices were paid later than 30 days.The potential interest due for late payments amounts to £21,144.40. However, no interest or compensation for late supplier payment was claimed or paid.

Education: Travellers

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byViscount Younger of Leckie on 4 February (HLWS1264), what action they will take to improve access for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma young people to further and higher education.

viscount younger of leckie: Widening access and participation in higher and further education is a priority for this government. Everyone with the capability to succeed should have  the opportunity to benefit from a university education, regardless of their background or where they grew up. On 1 February 2019, we announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education. The announcement is attached and can also be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universities-must-do-more-to-tackle-ethnic-disparity. The new regulator for higher education, the Office for Students (OfS) has a statutory duty in regards to students who share particular characteristics, (protected under the Equality Act 2010), and where there is specific evidence that barriers exist that may prevent equality of opportunity, including those from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Through Access and Participation Plans agreed with the OfS, higher education providers are expected to reduce the gaps in access, success and progression for under-represented groups amongst their students. Eligible 16 to 19 year olds do not pay tuition fees for post-16 further education (e.g. A Levels and approved technical qualifications). This enables young people to meet the requirement of continuing to participate in education or training beyond the age of 16. Eligibility to receive public funding for further education for adults (those aged 19 and above), is based on age, prior attainment and a learner’s circumstances. Skills provision is prioritised and focussed towards young adults, those with low skills and unemployed people who are actively seeking work. In addition, the government also provides financial support to enable learners to participate in post-16 further education, whatever their financial situation. This includes contributions to costs such as transport, childcare, essential books, equipment and accommodation.



HL13770_Tackling_ethnic_disparity
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Skilled Workers: Vacancies

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address a skills shortage in the UK private sector.

lord agnew of oulton: The department conducts the Employer Skills Survey, which provides robust assessments of skills shortages across the UK by geography, occupation and by sector. The latest results were published in summer 2018 and are available on GOV.UK, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-skills-survey-2017-uk-report.The department also has responsibility for Working Futures which provides 10 year projections of employment by sector, occupation and geography: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-labour-market-projections-2014-to-2024.We are rolling out Skills Advisory Panels, which will bring together employers, local authorities, universities, colleges and other training providers. These partners will work together to pool their knowledge and expertise and decide what skills are really needed across a sub-region. This will help ensure we match training to the jobs available in the local area.We are also working with employers to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes, which will make the skills system more responsive to employer needs, while giving individuals the skills they need to succeed.This includes improving apprenticeships by making them longer, higher quality, and with more off-the job training and proper assessment at the end; introducing T Levels which will offer a high quality and rigorous technical alternative to academic education; and establishing National Colleges and Institutes of Technology to meet higher level technical skills needs. We are also developing a new National Retraining Scheme - an ambitious, far-reaching programme, which will give adults the skills they need to thrive and support employers to adapt as the economy changes.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many magistrates in England and Wales can currently sit as a presiding justice in (1) family, (2) youth, and(3) adult criminal jurisdictions; and how many in each category are due to retire in each of the next five years.

lord keen of elie: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each of the last five years, what percentage of invoices submitted to UK prisons were paid to suppliers within 30 days; how many invoices were paid later than 30 days; what was the potential interest and compensation liability due to late payment; and how much interest and compensation was claimedand paid.

lord keen of elie: In respect of information on UK prisons, prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a devolved matter and responsibility lies with the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive respectively. The information requested for prisons in England and Wales could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not separately identify payment records relating to prisons only. Data for interest or compensation liability charges due to late payment is also not collated separately. HMPPS data includes prisons, probation and HMPPS headquarters cost centres. As an Agency, HMPPS made approximately 230,000 invoice payments in financial year 2017/18, 85% of which were paid within 30 days. To date in 2018/19 the Agency has paid 87% of invoices received within 30 days. On occasion, invoices are placed on hold for payment. This may be for a variety of reasons including awaiting verification that the goods or services have been delivered and are of the required standard.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Rent to Buy Scheme

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the approval rate of new affordable Rent To Buy housing since the publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 24 July 2018; and whether they intend to publish further guidance to encourage local authorities to consider this form of affordable housing.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The number of planning permissions granted for different type of affordable housing is not recorded at a national level. Homes England publish statistics on the number of affordable housing units delivered through schemes such as Rent to Buy and the Greater London Authority report on units delivered through their affordable housing programmes.We are reviewing guidance that will assist delivery of Rent to Buy and will publish this in due course.

First Time Buyers: Government Assistance

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support first-time buyers on low to middle incomes who are unable to afford a deposit whilst paying rent on a home.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy - Equity Loan, Help to Buy ISA and Lifetime ISA have helped over 500,000 households into home-ownership since 2010. The Autumn Budget 2018 provided an additional £7.2 billion for a new Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme to run from April 2021 to March 2023, which will exclusively help first time buyers. In addition to this the Stamp Duty relief for first time buyers introduced at the Autumn Budget 2017 will help over one million households over the next 5 years.

Local Government Finance

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 11 February (HL13242), whether local authorities are meeting the government's stated expectations of making savings while continuing to provide excellent services to local communities.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Councils have done fantastically well in reforming the way they work to become more efficient, both in back-office functions and front-line service delivery – and we welcome that. But with councils accounting for a quarter of all public spending, we and the sector know there is more to do. Councils need to continue playing their part in tackling the deficit, and we will be supporting them to do so. Across the country, councils are looking at ways to:manage demand for transformed servicesdeliver services differently with partners,make greater use of technology to reduce cost and improve service quality,become more commercial, andimprove staff productivity.

Local Government Finance

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities are failing to make savings while continuing to provide excellent services to local communities in line with the government's stated expectations; and what remedial action, if any, they propose.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Councils have done fantastically well in reforming the way they work to become more efficient, both in back-office functions and front-line service delivery – and we welcome that. But with councils accounting for a quarter of all public spending, we and the sector know there is more to do. Councils need to continue playing their part in tackling the deficit, and we will be supporting them to do so. Across the country, councils are looking at ways to:manage demand for transformed services and deliver services differently with partners,make greater use of technology to reduce cost and improve service quality,become more commercial, andimprove staff productivity.In terms of specific councils, there is no definitive list or “right answer” on this, and it is local areas that are responsible for managing their own resources and performance. My department looks at risk levels in councils so that we can work with the Local Government Association and across Government to support them and prevent financial or service delivery failure.

Planning

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reform the town and country planning framework to achieve more efficient decision making.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In July last year we published a revised National Planning Policy Framework to provide a clear basis for locally-produced plans and planning decisions. We are continuing to explore improvements to procedures, building on recent reforms such as streamlining the use of pre-commencement planning conditions. We recently consulted on further permitted development rights and changes to use class orders to support the high street and encourage more development, and published the outcome of Bridget Rosewell’s independent review into speeding up planning appeal inquiries.

Housing: Construction

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities to meet housebuilding targets; and what guidance they provide to assist local authorities in their negotiations with developers.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Government has already dedicated over £44 billion of investment to help local authorities to deliver the homes communities need. On 14 February, the Government announced nearly £250 million of housing deals which will deliver almost 25,000 more homes. As part of this, the government will be investing £157 million in infrastructure such as building roads and putting natural green space alongside developments.Last year Government introduced a new approach to viability assessment through the revised National Planning Policy Framework and accompanying guidance. The new approach ensures that developers will have greater certainty about what they are expected to contribute, and that these costs can be reflected in the price paid for land. Local authorities will be better able to hold developers to account and will need to set out more clearly for communities what infrastructure and affordable housing has been delivered through developer contributions.

Housing: Disability

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Minister for Women and Equalities on 7 February (HC Deb, col 405), what steps they are taking to ensure that housing stock across the country can be made more flexible.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Through Building Regulations we set minimum standards of accessibility for all new homes. The revised National Planning Policy Framework introduced an expectation that local housing policies should make use of the Government’s optional technical standards for accessible and adaptable housing which promotes going above the minimum standards.Through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), which helps towards the cost of adapting a home to make it more accessible, the Government has invested more than £2.2 billion, providing around 280,000 adaptations by the end of 2018-19.

Regeneration: Cornwall

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the regeneration of the economy of Cornwall; and whether they will list the specific projects they will undertake for that purpose.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government’s ambitious, modern Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK.We are working with areas across the UK who are developing Local Industrial Strategies, including Cornwall, and we hope to deliver these everywhere by 2020. These strategies will be developed locally through Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) and agreed with the Government.Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been allocated £78.23 million as part of their growth deal to support economic growth in the area.There are also two Enterprise Zones in Cornwall. Aerohub+, a split site covering Newquay airport and Goonhilly Earth Station with a focus on Aerospace and Space, and Marine Hub which has a focus on marine technology. They are both progressing well and the site at Newquay airport has attracted several companies including CIS UK Ltd and Apple Aviation.

Local Government: Basildon

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Basildon Borough Council regarding commercial decisions in the last two years.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Officials from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government met with Basildon Council in April 2018 as part of their ongoing general engagement with local government. As part of a wide ranging discussion, Basildon Council made reference to its policy of commercial asset acquisition and plans for future housing development in the borough.

Refugees

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussions theMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government hashad with the HomeOffice about extending the 28 day move-on period after refugee status has been granted.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: MHCLG continues to work closely with Home Office on ways to improve the support to newly recognised refugees, but there are no plans to extend the 28-day move-on period.

Ministry of Defence

Torpedoes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to maintain a sovereign capability in torpedo design, development and build.

earl howe: The UK takes a risk based approach to the preservation of the operational advantage derived from our military capabilities and assurance of the freedom of action inherent in the way that they are procured. As such, the acquisition strategies for military capabilities are kept under review to ensure that they remain fit for purpose. For the purpose of safeguarding national security, it would not be appropriate to publicly identify the circumstances or aspects of capabilities we might regard as critical to be maintained in the UK.

Torpedoes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when work is required to start on replacing or updating the Stingray lightweight torpedo.

earl howe: The future capability requirements for the Stingray lightweight torpedo are still being investigated and a decision will be made once the time and cost implications are understood.

HMS Ocean

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the sale price of HMS Ocean to Brazil; and how much they plan to spend on the new Littoral Strike Ships.

earl howe: HMS OCEAN was sold to the Brazilian Navy for £84 million. The potential cost of the Littoral Strike Ship will be established during the initial concept phase that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 11 February 2019.

HMS Amethyst

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Yangtze Incident.

earl howe: The Government currently has no plans for an official commemorative event of the Yangtze incident. However, we will, of course, give consideration to any requests for support by veterans' organisations.

Type 26 Frigates

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the unit price of each of the three Type 26 frigates presently on order.

earl howe: In July 2017, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the award of a contract valued at £3.7 billion to manufacture the first batch of three Type 26 Frigates. The manufacture contract covers the build of the first three Type 26 Frigates through to sea trials and vessel acceptance by the Royal Navy, as well as the remaining development costs for the class. The contract also includes the procurement of the medium calibre gun for the first three ships and the modifications needed to the Clyde shipyards at Govan and Scotstoun to enable the manufacture of the Type 26. The detailed pricing of the contract is a commercial matter between the MOD and BAE Systems and I am withholding the cost per ship, as its publication would be prejudicial to commercial interests.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Jobseeker's Allowance claimants are sanctioned if they do not accept a job offer because of low pay and conditions.

baroness buscombe: Employers should comply with employment law on pay and conditions. Claimants will have good reason for refusing employment if they do so because the national minimum wage applies to them and the employment does not pay at least the national minimum wage. In such a case a sanction would not be applied. Jobseeker's Allowance claimants are not required to apply for zero hours contract jobs and will not be sanctioned if they refuse an offer of a job on a zero hours contract.If a claimant has doubts about the terms and conditions of employment (other than the level of pay) which they consider makes the employment unsuitable, they are encouraged to discuss this in advance with their Work Coach. Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted. Guidance for decision makers can be found in the Decision Makers Guide (DMG) and Advice for Decision Making Guide (ADM) available at Gov.uk. This guidance is supplemented from time to time with updates to reflect legal and procedural changes.

Home Office

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner: Public Appointments

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the recruitment process of the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) began before the independent review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 could provide its recommendations on the IASC.

baroness williams of trafford: The recruitment process for the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) commenced in June 2018, following the resignation of the previous IASC in May. This was before the announcement of the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act (MSA) on 31st July.The reviewers published an interim report on the findings on the IASC in December 2018, which included a recommendation to pause the recruitment. Given the critical nature of the role the Home Secretary decided to proceed with the appointment process and to work with the new post holder to take forward relevant recommendations

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner: Performance Appraisal

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the possible impact on the independence of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner of the requirement that the Commissioner undertake annual performance appraisals with the Home Office Director of Tackling Slavery and Exploitation.

baroness williams of trafford: It is usual for public appointees to take part in an appraisal or performance assessment process in line with the Cabinet Office Code for public appointments.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-ministerial-appointments-to-public-bodiesThe requirement to do so does not compromise their ability to carry out their roles independently. We will consider the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act on the role of the independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) and will work with the new post holder to take forward relevant recommendations.



Code of Practice for Ministerial Appts
(PDF Document, 461.57 KB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Fines

lord smith of hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fines have been issued to companies for contraveningthe Gambling Act 2005 in each year between 2010 and 2018.

lord ashton of hyde: Where an operator fails to meet its requirements under the Licensing Conditions and Codes of Practice, the Gambling Commission can take regulatory action. Whilst the vast majority of issues are resolved without the use of formal powers, the Gambling Commission may, in the event of a serious breach, impose financial penalties or revoke an operator’s licence. Within the regulatory process, the Commission may also agree a regulatory settlement, whereby an operator agrees to makes a donation to a socially responsible cause. The table below shows the number of fines and regulatory settlements issued between 2010 and 2018. Together, these came to over £40 million. These figures do not include other fines which may have been issued by the courts as a result of prosecutions brought by other enforcement agencies.  Fines imposed under s121 of the Gambling Act 2005Regulatory settlements 20102Unknown20110Unknown20122Unknown201313201413201512201613201716201839Total1226

Gambling: Advertising

lord smith of hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints they have received regarding gambling advertising in each year between 2010 and 2018.

lord smith of hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of gambling affiliates which operate in the UK.

lord ashton of hyde: Consumer complaints about gambling advertising are generally directed to and dealt with by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) or Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), rather than central government. The ASA received 10,165 complaints about gambling advertising between 2010 and 2018: Year201020112012201320142015201620172018Total165539411681138109098716159331185 Data provided by the ICO shows there were 10,270 complaints between 2014, when gambling was introduced as a complaint category, and 2018. The Gambling Commission is not the lead regulatory authority, but its contact centre does deal with some consumer complaints. It received 1,104 complaints about gambling advertising and marketing between 2014, when advertising became part of its remit, and 2018. Neither government nor the Gambling Commision holds data on the number of marketing affiliates operating in the UK. Gambling operators providing services to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Commission and are responsible for the actions of third parties, including marketing affiliates. If an affiliate breaches licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) the operator will be held accountable.